Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?
by xotayxo
Summary: Niley story based off of 9-11. Touchy subject i know, but it's based off a song about 9-11 that i love. don't like, don't read!
1. Trailer

so this is a repost. since i got reported for having real people in this story. So Nick, Joe and Kevin's last name is Grey, Selena's last name is Russo, and Demi's last name is Torres. Hopefully that should work! sorry everyone!

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything! **

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It's been 10 years since that fateful day in NYC.

The day her world fell apart with a single phone call.

_"Miley, the World Trade Center has been attacked."  
"Joe, please tell me you're lying."_

She fell to her knees, crying, as she dropped the phone. She could still hear his brother's voice, calling her name frantically through the phone.

_"Is...is Nick alright?" she stutters.  
"I don't know....I was talking to him but then the line went dead"_

At the hospital

_"Nick, you're a fighter, you can get through this. I love you too much. Please wake up."_

2 weeks later

_"Nick, we're all praying for you. I love you."_

Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning? A Story about 9/11, Niley Style.

Starring:

Miley Stewart-29  
Nick Grey-29  
their daughter, Katie Elizabeth Grey-6

Joe Grey-32  
Lilly Truscott-29  
their son, Adam Paul Grey-2  
and daughter, Michelle Rose Grey-5

Kevin Grey-34  
Selena Russo-28  
Demi Torres-28

***Set in future (kinda present day), characters ages are different *  
*Main part of story is flashbacks to understand what happened ***


	2. Chapter 1

repost! thanks for all the reviews and sorry for this getting deleted!

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.**

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September 11, 2011.  
(Miley's POV) 9 a.m.

It's been 10 years, yet it seems like it was yesterday. 10 years ago today, my life fell apart. I glance to our 6 year old daughter, watching t.v. in the living room, to my husband, sitting in his chair reading the paper. His eyes cloud over, and I know he is remembering that day as they mention all the memorials scheduled. I feel tears come to my eyes, and I make my way to the bathroom. I sink to the ground, sobbing, as the images fill my mind, taking me back 10 years ago.

(Nick's POV) Earlier that morning....6 a.m.

I awoke abruptly, sweat pouring from every inch of my body. I racked my brain trying to remember what woke me up. When I woke up, I smelled fuel and smoke. Then it hit me. Today was September 11. The day that changed my life, forever. I roll over to look at my wife, sleeping peacefully. I get up out of bed and go look in on our daughter sleeping soundly, a striking resemblance to Miley. I get back in bed, hands laced behind my head, letting the memories flood my head, bringing me back to that day 10 years ago.

**(FLASHBACK)** Nick and Miley are 19, as is Lilly. Joe is 22, Kevin is 24.  
September 11, 2001. 7 a.m. (Miley's POV)

_I feel the bed move as my fiancee gets up. I roll over to look at the clock on his night stand. 7a.m. He looks over, and seeing that I'm awake, places a lingering kiss on my lips, leaning over me. I hear him turn the shower on before I roll over and close my eyes. As I am drifting off to sleep, he comes over to me and sits on my side of the bed. "I'll see you when I get home, I love you baby." He kisses me gently, and I reply, "Love you too." I instantly fall back asleep._

(Nick's POV) 8 a.m.

_I walk into my office and turn the light on. Making my way to my desk, I power up my computer before sitting down in front of it. My eyes land on the stack of paperwork I have yet to look over. Sipping my coffee, I open my email. I sigh and start to reply to the many messages. I see that Joe and Kevin both emailed me, saying they took off today._

_"Typical," I thought. Lately, it seems that I'm the only one who ever comes into work anymore. I glance at my watch and roll my eyes. Only 8:45. I've been at work 45 minutes and already I want to go home. I get up and look out my window, admiring the NYC skyline. Something catches my eye, and my tiredness quickly turns to fear._

_A plane is flying closer and lower to the North Tower next door. I hear an explosion, and my worst fear is confirmed. That plane just hit the World Trade Center. I look at my watch and remember the time for years to come. 8:46 a.m. I pray Miley isn't awake yet, so I can get out of Manhattan safely._

_I sit back down behind my desk, work phone in hand. I call Joe._

_"What?" Joe snaps into my ear. "Always a morning person," I thought._

_"Joe, listen. It's Nick." Some fear must have been in my voice, because I hear him shift the phone, then I start to speak._

_"I just saw a plane crash into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. I have a feeling that whoever is behind this isn't finished yet. If I don't make it out for some reason, tell Miley that I love her, and for her to find someone else who will treat her right and love her." I feel a tear slide down my face._

_"Nick, don't worry. You'll make it out of there. I know you. Be strong. I love you."_

_"Love you too. And Joe?"_

_"Yeah, Nicky?"_

_"Tell Mom and Dad that...." I drop my phone, and look out my window, not even hearing the sound of the phone shattering into pieces. Another plane is headed towards the World Trade Towers, and it looks like it is coming straight for my office. My blood turns to ice._

_The tower trembles, the lights go out, and the walls of my office crumble around me._


	3. Chapter 2

repost!

**Warning: language is a little touchy here.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot. And Diane. :)**

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(Nick's POV)

_I uncover my eyes, nose, and mouth, and try to recall what just happened. I remember seeing the plane come barreling towards my office before throwing myself on the floor and under my desk, my arms over my eyes, mouth, and nose. A bright flash of light, an explosion, and the crashing of walls against one another is what came next. I get out from under my desk and grab an old cloth that I used to clean the silver in my office. Ignoring the stench of polish, I hold it up to my face; it's better than breathing all the smoke and dust that now surrounds me. I make my way from behind the wreckage that used to be my office. There is smoke everywhere, every now and then a wire sparks. It is eerily silent, and that heightens my sense of fear._

_I look around for any sign of movement, my ears tuned for any sound. I start calling out names. I hear a faint voice, and make my way to the corner of the office. Looking closer through the smoke, I see our secretary Diane crouched in the corner, coughing. I hold out my hand, which she takes gratefully, her eyes are wide with horror and fear._

_"We're going to get out of here, alright?" I tell her, and she nods. We make our way towards what used to be the door, linking hands. Thankfully, there is a set of stairs right outside my office, and they are not blocked._

_"Only 76 more floors to go," I think to myself, praying to God Diane and I make it out alive._

(Miley's POV) 8:30 a.m.

_I open my eyes and stretch. I throw the blankets off my body and set my feet on the hardwood floor. I walk down the stairs from the loft to the main level of out apartment. When Nick and I moved in together last year, we converted the attic/loft into our bedroom, so the kitchen, living room, and office are on the main level._

_I start making myself breakfast, wondering what I should do today. Living in an apartment 15 minutes away from NYC is a great thing when you're bored. I decide to head to 5th avenue to do some shopping for Nick's birthday coming up. I sit down in the love seat and turn the t.v. on. I watch a Ditech commercial for no more than a minute when CNN cuts in. It's 8:49._

_Carol Lin, the news anchor, says, "Yeah....this just in. You are obviously looking at a very disturbing live shot there. That is the World Trade Center, and we have unconfirmed reports that a plane has crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. CNN Center right now is just beginning to work on this story, obviously calling our sources and trying to figure out exactly what happened, but clearly something relatively devastating happening this morning there on the south end of the island of Manhattan. That is once again, a picture of one of the towers of the World Trade Center."_

_My brain tries to register what I just watched on the t.v. A burning question runs through my mind. "Who would dare attack the World Trade Center?"_

_At that moment, my phone rings. I turn the t.v. off._

_"Hello?"_

_"Miley, it's Joe. A plane just hit the south tower." I can't believe what I'm hearing, or rather I don't want to._

_"Wh....what?"_

_"The World Trade Center has been attacked." I drop the phone and fall to my knees, crying. I hear his brothers voice through the phone, frantically calling my name._

_"Is...is Nick alright?" I stutter out, picking the phone back up._

_"I don't know.....I was talking to him then the line went dead." This confirms my worst fear, and I start sobbing._

_I hang up the phone, and slowly get up off the floor, only to throw myself onto the couch. The door to my apartment slams open, rebounding against the wall behind it, revealing my best friend, her fiancee, and his older brother._

_Lilly immediately runs over, engulfing me in a much needed hug. She lets go, then turns the t.v. on. Joe and Kevin sandwich my body in between them, Joe stroking my hair, Kev rubbing my back. I can't help it. I break down completely, sobbing into Joe's chest. Being with them reminds me of Nick, and how he could possibly be dead or trapped in the South Tower. I pull away and wipe away my tears before joining Lilly on the couch. Joe sits in between Lilly and I, one arm around her waist, a hand on my knee, and Kevin sits next to me, his arm around my shoulder._

_I play with the engagement ring Nick bought for me when he proposed on July 4. I let the memories of that night flood my head, hoping to block out reality._

Meanwhile, With Nick and Diane (Nick's POV)

_Diane and I make it down to the 70th floor when I tug on her hand, motioning for her to stop. I glance at my watch and tell her it's 9:20. We make our way onto the landing, looking for anybody. Not a soul in sight. I breathe a sigh of relief that people have enough sense to evacuate the tower. Going back towards the stairs, Diane and I are face to face with smoke. It curls behind us as we pound down the stairs. Diane stops me for a moment while she takes off her heels and leaves them there. The smoke combined with the darkness makes it difficult to see and very eerie. The smoke stings my eyes, causing them to water. Every 10 floors, Diane and I look for survivors. She is starting to slow down, and her coughing has resumed. I myself am feeling tired, my whole body aches. But the one thing that keeps me going is seeing Miley._

_9:45 a.m. Diane and I have 15 floors to go, both of us fading fast. I'm now supporting Diane with one arm around her waist, and she is using the cloth I grabbed from my office to cover her nose and mouth. We make it to the 10th floor, and I stop to catch my breath. Without warning, my knees buckle beneath me and I collapse on the ground, Diane next to me. I lift up the sleeve of my shirt and check my Omnipod. It's way below normal, and I'm starting to feel the effects. I look at my watch one last time. 9:59. All of a sudden, the tower starts to tremble. A deafening roar can be heard above us, and I pray to God I make it out alive. A cloud of smoke and dust engulf the two of us, and as Diane and I hold onto each other, the South Tower of the World Trade Center crumbles to the ground._

With Miley, Lilly, Joe and Kevin.  
(Lilly's POV)

_I'm sitting here with Miley, Joe, and Kevin on what has got to be the longest day of my life. Miley is a complete mess. For the past half hour, the news has been the same. All of our cell phones have rung about 20 times each, but we refuse to answer them. I actually turned mine off. Joe is sitting next to me, one arm around my waist, one hand stroking Miley's arm. Even though he doesn't show it, Joe is falling apart on the inside. Him and Kevin both. They don't have any news on their little brother, and no way of contacting him. I look at the t.v., which has switched to a live camera shot of the Towers. It's now 9:59. A trembling sound can be heard coming from the t.v., and immediately 8 pairs of eyes are glued to the set. In a cloud of dust, smoke, and debris, we watch, horror-struck, as what looks like another explosion has hit. The South Tower is completely obscured from vision. Once the wind clears everything away, it is clear that the South Tower has collapsed. I immediately put my arms around my best friend as she breaks down completely for the second time today. Sobs shake her body, and Joe and Kevin instantly place their arms around her as well. Joe's phone rings, and I see the caller I.D. It's his mother. He puts it on speaker._

_"Hello?"_

_"Joseph, thank goodness you're alright! Is Kevin there?"_

_"Hey mom, I'm right here?" Kevin replies, but you can hear the fear in his voice._

_"Where's Nick?" Joe's face pales, as does Kevin's. I whisper to him, "Tell her the truth. It's better than her finding out from some other source." He takes a deep breath and nods._

_"Mom, Nick went into work today. He called me when the first plane hit, but the line went dead. I'm with Miley and Lilly at Miley's apartment." I hear Denise start to cry on the other line, but she manages to stutter out, "Tell her to stay strong. Nicholas is strong, he'll make it through this."_

_Kevin gets up and says he's bringing Denise here. "I don't want her to be alone," he says, as he picks his keys up and walks to the door. Miley is still crying, but at Denise's words she calmed down somewhat._

(Miley's POV)

_No, no, no! This cannot be happening right now! My fiancee is somewhere in that tower which is now a heap of twisted metal on the ground. My life was going great, until today. Kevin walks back into my apartment, Denise right behind him. I slowly get up off the couch, and make my way towards his mom. She folds me in her arms, and I start crying again. She rubs my back, and whispers encouraging words in my ear. I will myself to believe that what she is saying is true, and that I will see the love of my life again. I pray to God that Nick will make it out alive._

In the wreckage (Nick's POV)

_I open my eyes and try to move. No luck. My legs are pinned underneath a scrap of metal, and I can barely feel them. Thankfully, my arms and chest are free. If my chest wasn't free, I would have no chance of getting out alive. I hear someone about 5 feet to my right trying to move. Looking over through the darkness, I see the outline of Diane pinned underneath a chunk of concrete, one arm and part of her chest free. She's trying to hold back tears. _

_"Diane, I know you want to move, but don't. It'll make things worse. I'm here for you. We're gonna make it out of here."_

_As much as I wanted to believe what I just told Diane, my hope is fading. I begin to doubt whether someone could physically climb down here, without crushing us. I look at my watch, which is gratefully still working. 10:28. I can hardly believe that just 2 hours ago I was sitting in my office, checking my email. A great rumbling is heard, and I hear Diane gasp in fear._

_"You don't think....." she trails off, and I am thinking the same thought._

_Dust settles around us, and thankfully no pieces of concrete or metal come crashing down on us. It sounds like an earthquake is shaking Manhattan, and once the sound dies away, I can't believe that the Twin Towers are gone, and more less I'm buried beneath one of them._

With Miley, Lilly, Denise, Kevin, and Joe.  
(Miley's POV)

_There's a knock on my apartment door. Kevin gets up and pulls open the door. I hear him gasp, then say, "Demi?" then I hear disbelief in his voice when he exclaims, "Selena?!"_

_I couldn't believe my ears. Selena Russo, Nick's ex-girlfriend, is standing outside the door, along with Demi Torres, whom I am fairly good friends with. Selena Russo, of all people! I thought she hated me for stealing Nick from her! Apparently I was wrong._

_Demi walks over to me as I stand up. "Miley," is all she says, and encloses me in her arms. We stay like that for a moment, before she pulls away, tears in her eyes. She turns to greet everyone else in my apartment as I turn to Selena._

_I open my mouth to speak, but she cuts me off._

_"Miley, listen. I know that we aren't on the best of terms, but I was wondering if, you know, we could, start over? Try and be friends? I know I kind of put it out there that I hated you for stealing Nick away from me, but now I see how happy the two of you are. And besides, I'm engaged to David, my co-star." She shows me her left hand, where I see a dazzling diamond. "I have no reason to hate you, I just couldn't bring myself to come and talk to you. I love Nick as a friend, and I know that he will make it out of there alive. I'll be here for you, starting now. You need to stay strong." I see tears start to form in her eyes, and I manage to smile despite my sadness._

_I don't say anything, but give Selena a hug. A lot of unsaid things went into that hug, things I wanted to say but didn't have to courage to, and many others. I think she felt them too, cuz she didn't shy away from me._

_Pulling away, another thought comes to my mind. "How did you and Demi find out that Nick works in the Towers?" I ask quizzically_.

_Demi smiled. "Joe texted me. He said you weren't doing too well and he told me what had happened. He said he wanted you to be surrounded by the people who care about you the most."_

_I immediately went over to Joe and gave him a huge hug. "Thank you," I whispered in his ear,"for watching out for me. I know how hard this is for you and Kevin, and I'm just making it worse." I pulled away, but Joe pulled me towards him again. "Miles, don't say that. You're hurting just as much as we are, if not more. He's our brother, but he's the love of your life." I look up at him, a faint smile playing on my face through a wave of fresh tears. "Nick might not want me to tell you this," Joe says, "but I think you deserve to hear it. Nick loves you with everything that he has. You_ _are the reason he is living. And I know this for sure: he's gonna do whatever it takes to make it out of that tower just to see you."_

_I pull away again, tears glistening in not only my eyes but everyone else's as well._

A day later. (Nick's POV) 11 p.m.

_I've been awake ever since the North Tower fell. That was at 10:28 a.m. yesterday. I can no longer feel my right leg, and have a little feeling in my left. My eyes are itching to sleep, and I know that my blood sugar is at a dangerously low level. I am forcing myself to stay awake though, because I know that if I close my eyes, I might not wake up. There is only one thing that is keeping my feeble hopes alive: my fiancee. She is the only thing that I have thought of this entire time._

_Her face swims into my mind, overtaking any sense of fear, sadness, and abandonment that I've been feeling. I feel her soft lips on mine, and smell the scent of her hair. Her arms around me, her head buried in the crook of my neck. I smile at this, my mind drifting to places unimaginable when a harsh cry brings me back to reality. To being pinned underneath a scrap of metal. To being extremely hungry and thirsty. To fighting for my life._

_"Nick?" A voice, barely audible. "Are you still there?" It's Diane._

_"Diane, what's wrong?"_

_"I...I can't take it anymore!" she says, her words laced with tears._

_"What are you talking about?" I ask her, my mind becoming more alert._

_"I want to get out. I don't want to be here anymore."_

_"No, Diane don't say that. We're gonna get out of here."_

_"Nick, cut the bullshit. How is someone gonna get down her to save us?'_

_Her words deal a staggering blow. I am at a loss for anything to say.  
"Diane, I -" "Ha! Exactly. You don't know if we're going to get out of here.?_

_I look up out of desperation, and see a faint light shining through the hole above us. Mustering all the strength I have, I manage to shout, "SOMEONE HELP US!"_

_My voice echoes throughout the night, and I see the light move._

_"HOW MANY OF YOU ARE DOWN THERE?" a male voice shouts._

_"JUST TWO, BUT WE'RE PINNED UNDERNEATH METAL." I shout back._

_"ABOUT HOW FAR DOWN ARE YOU?"_

_I look around, then up. "ABOUT 10 FEET."_

_No response. I hope/pray that whoever I talked to is going to get help._

_About an hour later, the same voice shouts down to us._

_"WHAT ARE YOUR NAMES?" "NICK GREY AND DIANE SAWYER!"_

_"ALRIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO ATTEMPT TO GET DOWN TO YOU TWO. JUST HANG ON, OKAY?"_

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xo


	4. Chapter 3

repost!

For anyone who is confused, Nick and Miley are NOT famous in this story, just wealthy. They went to a boarding school for music.

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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(FLASHBACK) July 4, 2001 (Nick's POV)

_Tonight's the night. The night I propose to my girlfriend of 6 years. Words can't even describe how much I love her. We've been through everything together, and managed to get through every curve-ball thrown at us. We've been together since 1995; we were 14 years old. Well at age 14, we didn't consider ourselves boyfriend/girlfriend, in our mind-set we were really good friends. I had met her only the year before that, and we instantly became best friends. Going to a boarding school in NYC for music does that. It helped our friendship evolve into more than friends, then eventually BF/GF. I promised her at age 14 that I would never leave her, and we would be together till the end. That part I kept, kind of. When we were 16, we broke up over something really small and stupid, and I started dating Selena Russo who also went to our school. After a while, I realized that I wanted to be with Miley, and only Miley. Selena hated Miley and I for a while, then became best friends with Demi Torres, whom Miley has known for about 10 years and is still friends with now. To this day, Miley and Selena fight a silent battle that I think should be resolved, but both girls are too damn stubborn to admit their faults._

_So you may be asking: Why July 4th? To be honest, I don't even know. I know that it's Independence Day and all, but what I have planned in my mind is perfect for this day. My parents are having a barbeque at their house, which is about 20 mins from our apartment, and then Miley and I are going to have dessert on the roof of our apartment. That's all I'm saying for now. Oh, I guess I should describe the ring. It's a platinum band with a 3 carat princess cut diamond set in the middle with two 1 carat diamonds on either side. My mom wanted to help me pick it out when I went to my parents and pitched the idea of proposing to Miley, but I told her I wanted to do it on my own. They agreed to my idea of proposing, saying that there would be no better time than now. After getting my parent's blessing, I flew to Tennessee, where Miley's parents live, to get her father's blessing. He gave it to me the minute I told him I wanted to propose to his daughter. Well, his actual words were, "I was wondering when you were gonna fly down here and ask my permission. Yes, I give you my blessing."_

_Miley and I head over to my parents house, where the BBQ is already in full swing. Miley goes out back to say hello to everyone, while my mom pulls me into the kitchen._

_"Let me see the ring." is all she says._

_"Jeez, mom. I don"t get a hug hello?" I say, pulling the small black box out of my pocket._

_I open the box, revealing the Tiffany's ring. My mother gasps, and I silence her with a look._

_"MOM! I don't want you to ruin it."_

_Ever since I came to her and told her I found the perfect ring, she's been dying to see it. I promised her I would show it to her the day I proposed._

_"I love it. It's perfect for her. You did a good job, honey," she says, ruffling my hair._

_I slide the box back into my pocket and follow my mom out to the backyard. Spotting Miley on the hammock with Lilly, I walk over to them smiling._

_Miley smiles and gets up to kiss me, flipping Lilly out of the hammock in the process. I help Lilly up while Miley apologizes. As Lilly walks away, Miley and I look at each other before bursting out in laughter._

_Miley sits back down on the hammock, and I join her. We lay side by side, my hand laced in hers, the other behind my head. We sway back and forth, in our own little world. We talk about life in general, and how we got to be here. Every now and then we sneak kisses. I take a deep breath and put my plan into action._

_"Miles," she looks at me, "What do you say we go and have a night to ourselves tonight?"_

_"I'd like that," she says, and she sits up. Tugging me up with her, we say our goodbyes and head home. Before we leave, my mom whispers in my ear, "Good luck tonight. Call me?" I smile and nod._

9 p.m.

_I lead Miley to the steps that go up the roof. I pull out a small blindfold and tie it over her eyes._

_"How many fingers am I holding up?"  
"Um...2?"  
I laugh. "Okay, that was a lucky guess, but you're good."_

_I take her hand and lead her up the stairs. Pushing the panel open, we step onto the roof. There is a light breeze blowing; the setting is perfect._

_"Okay, you can take the blindfold off now."_

_Her fingers fumble with the knot, and she pulls it off._

(Miley's POV)

_What I saw completely took my breath away. We were on the roof of our apartment, under a cloudless, starlit sky. There is a blanket set up with candles, rose petals, and dishes for two. I turn to look at Nick in amazement._

_"You planned this all out, didn't you?" I ask him, planting my hands on my hips._

_"Maybe...." he trails off, smiling._

_"And what if I didn't agree to come home?"_

_"Because I knew you wouldn't say no." he states, and pulls me close to him, kissing me lightly._

_Tugging me towards the blanket, we sit down and have dessert, since we ate dinner at the party._

_After that, we lay on the blanket, limbs tangled in each other, stargazing. All of a sudden the fireworks start. Nick and I have the perfect view. Before I even ask, he puts a finger to my lips._

_"No, I did not plan this," he says smiling. "But if I could, I would have," he whispers, his breath tickling my ear._

_I try to squirm away from him, but his arms latch around my waist, preventing me from moving._

_"You're not going anywhere, Ms. Cyrus."_

_"Oh really? You're lucky I love you," I pout._

_"How much do you love me?"_

_"Enough to want to be with you forever." I say. **(A/N: the fireworks are still going on.)** _

_Nick suddenly gets up and walks over to the edge of the roof. Wondering if I said something wrong, I walk over to him and wrap my arms around his torso, my head on his back._

_He turns around with my arms still around him. Looking him in the eyes, I see an emotion I never saw before. Lust. He leans down, since he's significantly taller than me, and kisses me softly, then pulls away, digging in his pocket for something._

_He has something in his one hand, and he takes my left hand in his. He looks me in the eyes, and starts to speak._

_"Miley, ever since we've been together, we've always talked about the day we get married. Nobody thought we would make it this far. The six years that we've been together have been the best years of my life. Even my family said something to me about it. They said whenever I'm with you or talk about you, my face glows, and I know it does. You always put a smile on my face, no matter what happened that day. When I was with Selena, I didn't feel the fireworks go off when we kissed. I didn't feel anything when I dated her. I never told her I loved her, because I only ever loved you. Every time I kiss you, fireworks go off. You make my life worth living."_

_For a moment, I can't find the words to speak. I am stunned. Stunned by the fact that he just told me I am the reason he is living. The funny part is that he just summed up the exact way I felt about him._

_He gets down on his right knee, and opens the box. My eyes widen._

_"Miley Cyrus, will you marry me and be mine forever?"_

_I look down to the beautiful Tiffany's ring that Nick bought for me, to my best friend of 7 years, to my boyfriend of 6 years, whom I dreamed of asking me to marry him, to my Prince Charming, and manage to utter one single word._

_"Yes."_

_His eyes light up and he says, "Really?"_

_"It would be an honor to marry you, Nicholas Grey."_

_He slides the ring onto my ring finger, and slides his arms around my waist. I put mine around his neck, and squeal in delight as he spins me around. He kisses me with passion, and I return it justly._

_We go back over to the blanket and lay down on it. I snuggle into his body, his arm wrapping around my waist. The fireworks are still going on, and this has got to be the best night of my life._

_"Nick?" I say.  
"Hmm?" he asks, propping himself up on his elbows to look at me._

_"You know how every girl has her own fantasy of how a guy should propose to her? Well, I had my own fantasy, but what you did topped it all. I couldn't imagine anything more perfect than this. This was beyond my wildest dream."_

_He kisses my forehead softly, and says, "I'm glad I made you feel that way...that's what I was aiming for."_

_He kisses me and whispers against my lips, "I love you."_

_"Love you too."_

_I admire my ring one last time, and then fall asleep in his arms, content and smiling._

(END FLASHBACK)

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definitely a filler chapter, don't you think? it'll pick up next chapter!


	5. Chapter 4

repost!

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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September 12, 2001. 1 a.m.  
(Miley's POV)

_I am awoken from a fit of restless sleep to the sound of music filling my apartment. Looking around, I am amazed at how many people could fit in such a small space._

_Joe and Lilly are on the pull out couch, I am on the other side of that, (it's an L-shaped couch), Demi and Selena are on an air mattress, Kevin is in the recliner, and Denise is on a futon. No one wanted to leave me alone, so they all decided to stay here._

_The music is getting louder. Looking around for the source, I locate my cell phone on the side table, lighting up. Looking at the front console, it reads_ **Nick G.**_ My heart stops for a second, then I answer it._

_"Hello?"_

_"Are you related to Nick Grey? This was his first ICE contact." Someone has Nick's phone. That must mean Nick is somewhere safe, right?_

_"Yes, I'm his fiancee. Is he alright?"_

_"I don't mean to be rude, but may I speak to someone who is blood-related?"_

_"Yes, sure, no problem."_

_I hurry over to Kevin and shake him awake.  
"Wuzzgoinon?" he mumbles.  
"Here, talk to this man, he has Nick's cell phone!" I say, handing him my cell._

_"Hello?" "Yes, I'm his eldest brother. I'm 24."_

_"Really? Is he alright?" At that, I start to wake everyone else up. Denise is up first; she immediately goes into the kitchen and brews a pot of coffee._

_Demi and Selena are up next, then Lilly, and last but not least, Joe, who was jumped on by his fiancee._

_"Thank you so much for calling." Kevin hangs up the phone and hands it to me._

_"Come on, guys. We have to get to the hospital. The guy said Lower Manhattan was the closest, and that's where Nick is."_

_We all hop into Joe's truck and speed to the hospital._

At the Hospital (Miley's POV)

_We all walk into the lobby at the same time and crowd around the front desk. Denise speaks first._

_"Hi, my son, Nicholas Grey, was just brought in. What room is he in?" "Um, well, right now he is in the OR, but he should be out within the hour. You're welcome to wait here," the woman behind the desk tells us, rifling through her stack of papers._

_We all sink into the hard plastic chairs in the waiting room. Kevin sits next to Denise, holding her. Joe and Lilly sit next to each other, him holding her hand. Demi and Selena sit on either side of me, holding my hands._

_All we can do now is wait._

An hour later (Joe's POV)

_Dang, these chairs are really uncomfortable! I can't find a good spot. Lilly is asleep, her head on my shoulder. I should be sleeping too, but I had coffee. Like 3 cups. So I'm really awake!_

_Miley is curled up in a chair fast asleep, as are Demi and Selena. Kevin is still holding my mom, both of them drifting off somewhat. A doctor comes into the waiting room, and seeing as we're the only ones here, I assume he's Nick's doctor. I get up and gently shake Kevin awake. We both stand up and walk to the doctor._

_"Are you related to Nick Grey?"_

_"Yes, we're his older brothers," Kevin says._

_"Well, I have good news and bad news."_

_Kevin and I look at each other, but nod._

_"The good news is that your brother made it through surgery and is alive."_

_"Oh, thank God." I breathe out._

_"The bad news is that he is in a coma. We did everything we could in surgery, but he is in a coma."_

_"If you don't mind me asking, in what condition was he brought in?" Kevin asks._

_"His condition wasn't as a bad as the woman he was found with, but it was critical. He and Diane were buried about 10 feet under concrete and metal. They were in the tower when the plane hit, one floor above their offices. They started to make their way towards ground zero, but they didn't make it, that's mainly why they were buried so much. Nick's legs were pinned under a piece of metal. He will need to go through extensive PT to regain the use of them. His blood sugar was also extremely low, but thanks to his dog tag we were able to see he was diabetic. As soon as people got him to the surface, we were told he literally handed his phone to the nearest person and passed out. We pumped insulin through an IV, but we think that is the reason why he is in a coma."_

_Kevin and I take a moment to absorb all the information. We are beyond thankful that Nick is alive, but we pray he wakes up._

_I decide to speak up. "What about Diane? She's our secretary, and we are close to her family. I'm sure they would want to know about her condition."_

_The doctor hesitates for a moment, then speaks. "Technically, I'm not allowed to give you information on another patient, but since this is a dark time, I will. Diane was found about 5 five away from Nick, legs and one arm pinned under a chunk of concrete. We did everything we could, but we had to amputate her arm up to the elbow. She's in the same state as Nick."_

_At this point, Miley is awake. She rushes over to us, and the doctor fills her in. Kevin and I are at her side instantly when she crumbles, crying._

_"Can we go see him?" she asks through tears._

_"Yes, one at a time. It may be a shock when you see him, he's been through a lot. Just talk to him, let him know you're there, etc. He'll be able to hear you."_

_Miley looks to Kevin and I, and to everyone else who is now awake._

_"Miley, honey, you go in first," my mom calls out._

_"But..." she tries to protest._

_"No 'buts', sweetie, you deserve to go in first," my mom says_, _walking up to Miley and cupping Miley's face in her hands. She lightly kisses her forehead, and tells her, "If anyone should go in first, it should be you. He loves you so much, it would mean the world to him if he knew you were there."_

_At that, Miley gives my mom a hug and follows the doctor to room 182._

(Miley's POV)

I_ take a deep breath, and push open the door to Nick's room. What I see shocks me to the core. Nick, laying on the bed, his face and hair streaked with ash, soot, and blood, his legs bandaged up, an IV running through his arm. Various bags are attached to the pole next to him, and I recognize one of them as insulin being pumped into his IV. The only reason I know that is because of his various trips to the hospital. His face is gaunt, he's lost a lot of blood. He looks peaceful, just laying there, but in reality, I know he is in excruciating pain. I stand there for a minute, gathering my surroundings, watching his chest rise and fall. I walk over to his bed, sit down in the chair next to it, take his hand, and start to talk._

_"Nick, I know that you're not awake right now, but I hope you can hear me. Everyone wanted me to come in first to see you, even your actual family. I declined at first, but eventually gave in because they wouldn't let up. Oh, I guess I should tell you the good news. Selena and I made up yesterday. She and Demi came to the apartment when the plane hit your tower. We're friends now. They're both here, along with Joe, Emily, Kevin, and your mom. They all stayed the night because they didn't want me to be alone. You'd be surprised how many people fit in our tiny apartment. Nicky, I miss you. I miss being in your arms." I start to cry. "I miss your kisses, I miss your arms around my waist, holding me tight." The tears are flowing freely now, as I start sobbing. "Nick, please wake up. You're a fighter and I love you too much to lose you. I know that when this is all over it will be hard for you, but I'll be here for you. Always and forever. We're gonna get through this, no matter what it takes. I need you in my life, especially now. When you regain your strength, we're getting married. I'm going to walk down that aisle and become Mrs. Nick Jonas. You're the love of my life, and will always be. I'm praying for you." I kiss his hand."I love you."_

_Joe and Kevin come in, help me up out of the chair, and support either side of me as I walk out of his room, sobbing quietly. They bring me to the others, Lilly rushing to me and taking my hand, leading me to a chair._

(Lilly's POV)

_"This can't be happening! Nick can't be in a coma. He needs to be here, awake, with me!"_

_Miley breaks down in tears for the third time in two days. I hold her in my arms and don't say anything, I just hold her there._

_After about 20 minutes, someone taps me on the shoulder. Joe. I realize that Miley has fallen asleep in my arms, her face streaked with makeup and tears._

_"Lils, I'll take her." Joe gently lifts Miley up into his arms, and carries her out to his car. I follow, along with Denise._

_We get to Miley's apartment and go inside. Joe, who is still carrying Miley, asks Denise to turn the bed down for her. She obliges, and I help him get Miley into sweatpants and a t-shirt. He gently puts her into her bed, and places a vile of pills on her nightstand. I turn to Joe with a look on my face, and he motions for me to go downstairs into the living room. He follows me out there, and holds me close to him._

_"They're sleeping pills. Kevin and I talked to the doctor after Miley's breakdown and he prescribed them for her. He was thinking about giving them to her anyway, given the state she's in. I hate seeing her like this, Lils, and it's killing me. Just as much as it's killing me to see my little brother in a com a. So I'm asking you if you could stay here with her tonight. My mom is gonna stay here too; Demi and Selena are going home, but they will drop in occasionally. Kevin and I are staying at the hospital."_

_"Joe, I'd do anything for you, and anything for Miley. I love you."_

_"Love you too."_

_He kisses me softly, then picks up his keys. He gives his mom a hug and a kiss on the cheek, then gently shuts the door behind him._

_Denise and I unfold the pull out bed for her; we decided that I would sleep in Miley's room. I don't want her to wake up to an empty room and freak out. I bid Denise goodnight, when in reality it is about 5 a.m., grab two water bottles from the fridge, and head upstairs to the loft._

_I finally fall asleep around 6 a.m. next to Miley, after an hour of tossing and turning. I guess the boys must have come in around 8 a.m., because I remember Joe picking me up and carrying me downstairs out to his truck. Kevin is curled up on the futon, sound asleep. He stayed with Denise instead of going back to his apartment because he knows she is falling apart just as much as Miley is. She is terrified of losing her second youngest son as much as Miley is afraid of losing her fiancee. Joe, Kevin and myself are afraid of losing our best friend, but Joe and Kevin are not only in danger of losing their best friend, they could also lose their brother._

_"Joe?" I ask, but he whispers in my ear, "Go back to sleep baby." I obey him, resting my head against his shoulder, my eyes closing._

10 a.m.  
(Miley's POV)

I_ wake up to find my myself in my own bed, but with no memory of how I got here. I remember being held by Lilly after Joe and Kevin took me out of Nick's room, but that's it._

_Denise comes into the loft, and seeing that I'm awake, walks over to the bed and places her arms around me._

_"Denise? How did I get here?" "Joe, Lilly, and I came here this morning. You fell asleep at the hospital, and Emily slept here with you. She didn't want you to be alone. She left around 8 a.m; Joseph took her to their house. Kevin is downstairs asleep. I've been coming in every hour to see if you were awake."_

_I smile at how caring my friends are. I suppress a yawn and stretch._

_"Here," Denise hands me a pill and a bottle of water, "It'll help you feel better." I take the pill, swallow some water, and am instantly the victim of a dreamless sleep._

_

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so......what do you think???? Reviews please!


	6. Chapter 5

damn, this is a really longggg chapter. I'm just realizing that now.

Anyways, enjoy! flashbacks are in italics.

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September 11, 2011.  
(Nick's POV)  
10 a.m.

As I look through the paper of today's events, one catches my eye. It is a memorial service for one of my colleagues, Diane. She was with me when the plane hit, and when the tower collapsed on top of us. We were both found together and brought to Lower Manhattan Hospital after being pinned under concrete and metal for a day and a half. It took me 3 years of hard-core PT to regain the use of my legs, and to this day I still walk with a slight limp. Diane wasn't as lucky. She had her right arm amputated from the elbow down, and went through extensive PT to regain the use of her legs. About a year after the attack, she started to become sick for days on end, sometimes missing a week of work. After my brothers and I persuaded her to go to the doctors, they took a blood test to try and determine what was wrong with her. Turns out that they found high levels of lead in her system, presumably from 9/11. She didn't react as quickly when the plane hit the tower, and inhaled the fumes from the Boeing 747. It was estimated that she had 2 months to live. She hung on to the last possible moment, with my brothers, Miley, Lilly, and I by her side the day she took her last breath. I will never forget that day. November 15. Every year there is a memorial on September 11 to honor those who died and who lived, and then her family stages one on the actual day she died.

I get up out of my chair and walk towards my wife, who is doing the dishes at the sink. I wrap my arms around her waist from behind, and she stops doing the dishes for a moment. She leans back into me, her head on my shoulder.

"So, I've been thinking, and I want to go to a memorial for Diane today. We can bring Katie with us. Joe and Lilly are going as well."

"Nick, are you sure you want to do this? I know you don't like talking about what happened that day...." I cut her off with a kiss.

"For some reason, today I feel like I can talk about it. It's in the past, and the past is irreversible. It changed my life, and I know that if God wanted to take me that day, he would have. But I want people to know that Diane was a good person, and that she held on to everything she had in life."

She turns around in my arms, and wraps her arms around my neck, kissing me lightly.

"Mommy! Daddy!" our 6 year old daughter comes bounding in the kitchen and slides in between Miley and I. Miley bends down to pick her up so she's in the middle of us. Simultaneously we kiss her cheeks. She giggles, then puts her arms around us both.

"I love you, Mommy," she says, giving Miley a butterfly kiss.

"Aww, Katie, I love you too, baby girl," Miley says.

I pretend to pout. "What about Daddy?"

She giggles. "Don't be silly, Daddy, I love you too." She gives me an Eskimo kiss, rubbing her nose against mine, hugging me tightly.

"Katie, what do you say we go out and meet up with Aunt Lilly and Uncle Joe?" Miley asks her, as I put her down.

"YAY! I can't wait to go see them!" Katie runs into her room and starts getting dressed for the day. Miley goes in to help her, while I get into the shower.

I step out of the shower and head into our bedroom while Miley disappears into the bathroom. I settle on black dress pants, a light blue button down, and a navy tie.

Miley comes out of the bathroom, clad in a simple white eyelet dress, her hair curly so it hangs down to the middle of her back.

"Can you do the rest of the zipper for me? I can't reach it," Miley asks me, and I oblige, trailing my fingers up the dress to the base of her neck.  
"I'll be unzipping that later....." I whisper in her ear, making her smile and blush.

Katie comes into our bedroom, wearing a dark blue dress that falls to her knees. A white ribbon adorns the top of the chestnut curls she inherited from Miley, and then she skips into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She comes out and goes into her bedroom to play with her dolls.

I stand behind Miley and put my arms around her.

"You are so lucky Katie isn't asleep right now," I whisper in her ear.  
She turns around in my arms. "Oh really? And why is that?"  
"Because, you look so damn sexy in that dress, and your hair is driving me insane."

She kisses me deeply before saying, "Knowing that I drive you insane, drives me crazy as well. You know, this dress would look better on the floor..." she trails off, kissing my neck.

"Tease," I mumble.

She looks me over, and adjusts my tie. "You've been wearing ties for how long now? And you still have trouble with them..." she mutters, shaking her head.

"Hey," I tilt her chin up with one finger, kissing her softly. "The looser it is, the easier for you to take off, am I right?" I ask her, smiling slightly.

She grins and kisses me before going into Katie's bedroom. "Come on, sweetie, you ready?"  
"Ready, Momma!" Katie grabs Miley's hand as well as my own.

We make our way to the garage and I let Katie hit the button that opens the door. Wincing slightly, I climb into the driver's seat of our Escalade while Miley helps Katie buckle in.

We head towards Ground Zero, which is about 30 minutes from our apartment. The first ceremony had already concluded, but I wanted to pay tribute to everyone else whom I worked with. Katie is still a little too young to understand what happened that day, but I'm hoping to educate her about it and tell her what happened to me.

Ground Zero kind of scares me, I'm not gonna lie. It's like being back in the Tower that day. Miley laces her hand with mine, giving it a gentle squeeze; it's scary how well she knows me, it's like she can tell what I'm feeling. Her other hand is in Katie's, as we spot Joe and Lilly with their two kids. I tighten my grip on the roses I brought to lay next to Diane's name, willing myself not to break down. I needed to be strong for my wife and daughter.

_(FLASHBACK) 2 weeks after September 11. (Miley's POV)_

_It's been two weeks since Nick and Diane have been brought to the hospital. Nick's condition has taken a turn for the worse. When he was first brought in, he had no trouble breathing. Due to complications from a surgery 3 days ago to repair a blood clot in his leg, he lost a lot of blood and his body shut down on them. They were able to revive him, but he can no longer breathe on his own. A tube feeds down his throat, and I watch as the machine breathes for him. Hot tears sting my eyes as I hold his hand, rubbing small circles with my thumb. Joe comes in and places a hand on my shoulder. I look to him at his touch, and slowly get up out of the chair. He gives me a comforting hug, then sits down in the seat I just vacated. I exit the room quietly, pulling the door shut behind me._

_(Joe's POV)_

_I watch as Miley closes the door behind her. As I turn to face my brother, I try to take in everything that has happened in the past two weeks. 2 weeks ago, my life was perfect. It was like a perfect little circle: me, Miley, Lilly, Nick, and Kevin. Now, one of my little brothers is in the hospital fighting for his life, his fiancee is completely broken, and Kevin and I feel so helpless. Miley won't get any better until Nick is awake and holding her in his arms. Lilly has tried to talk to Miley, but she has put up a wall around herself, not letting anyone in. I take a breath, and start to speak._

_"Nick, it's Joe. But you already knew that. I'm not gonna waste time telling you about my life, because for the past two weeks, my life has been about you. Yes, you, little brother. I've never been more scared in my life than right now. You need to be here. For me, for Kevin, for mom and dad, for Frankie, for Lilly, and most importantly, for Miley. She needs you. I need you. You're the only one who keeps Kevin and I in line. Well, whenever mom isn't around. But that's not the point. Miley's been here every day during visiting hours. She doesn't leave your side until forced to. The nurses even know her by name now. She really loves you, and we all love you." I feel tears come to my eyes, but I brush them away. "Nick, we're all praying for you. I love you."_

_I hear a noise come from the doorway, and I whip around, coming face to face with Kevin._

_"How much of that did you hear?" I ask him nervously._

_"Enough to be able to do this," Kevin replies, walking over to me. I stand up, and Kevin embraces me in a hug. I can't help it. Tears come to my eyes, and I let them fall. I feel drops on my shoulder, and I know Kevin is crying as well._

_We pull away from each other at the same time, and wipe our eyes. I manage a weak smile before following Kevin out of the room, shutting the door behind me._

_A week after that. September 27, 2001.  
(Miley's POV) 11 p.m._

_I'm really beginning to hate hospitals. After all this is over, I hope never to set foot in a hospital again, unless I'm having kids. It's been 3 weeks since September 11. Nick hasn't gotten any worse, or any better. I lay on his bed next to him, one hand in his, the other behind my head. This has become my daily routine for the past 3 weeks. I would talk to him about my ideas for the wedding, about our families, and about our future. Occasionally I would even sing to him, knowing that he loved the sound of my voice. Surprisingly enough, no nurses have come in since about 9:30 tonight. Speak of the devil, one comes in right now. It's Jenn, one of the nurses whom I have gotten friendly with. Some nurses hate that I'm in here so much, but there's 2 of them that don't really mind, Jenn being one of them._

_"Miley, it's okay, you can stay there," she says, as I start to get up._

_"You can stay here tonight, if you want," she offers, and my eyes light up._

_"Really? They're letting me stay?" I ask in amazement._  
_Jenn nodded. "Yeah, I think they finally realized how much you are here, and since you aren't a disturbance, they don't really have a problem with you staying with Nick."_

_I smile and thank her, as she finishes writing down the information she needs. "Just let me know if you need anything." she says, and closes the door behind her._

_I snuggle back into Nick's body, my hand still in his._

_"Oh Nick," I sigh, "Why me? Why you? Actually, I know why. God made this happen to test us and our relationship. And you know what? We proved that we will be together for whatever life throws at us." I kiss his cheek gently. "I love you, baby."_

_I fall asleep next to him, like I've done a thousand times in the past, the only difference being Nick isn't awake enough to hold me._

_The next morning.  
(Nick's POV) 8 a.m._

_I wake up in excruciating pain and something tickling my face. Looking down, I see that my fiancee is asleep next to me, her hair spread out all around her. My legs are all bandaged up, and I try to move them, only to almost pass out again from the pain. I try to say something, but realize there is a tube down my throat. I nudge Miley gently to get her to wake up. She stirs slowly and opens her eyes. She looks at me once, looks away, then looks back to me. Her eyes widen in disbelief._

_"Nick? Are you really awake?" she asks, and I nod. I wince in pain as she throws her arms around me, but don't mind because it's a good kind of pain._

_Miley gets up, and presses the button for the nurse. She comes in, and does a double take._

_"Nick? You're finally awake!?" That leaves me puzzled. How long was I asleep for?_

_I motion for her to take the tube out of my throat, and she moves closer to the bed._

_"On the count of 3, I want you to cough. 1,2,3," I cough, and she pulls the tube out. My throats burns like hell, my eyes water, but at least I can talk now._

_"Miley, come here baby," I say, my voice above a whisper._

_She obliges, crawling in the bed beside me, and I say to the nurse, "Can you give us 5 minutes? Then you can bring my family in." The nurse, Jenn, nods her head and closes the door softly behind her._

_Miley lays her head on my pillow as I mimic her. Her one hand is in mine, the other is stroking my cheek._

_"I can't believe you are awake. They said you had a 20% chance of making it," she tells me, kissing me softly on the mouth. God, you have no idea how much I missed that._

_"What are you talking about, baby?" I ask her, puzzled._

_"Nick, what's the last thing you remember?" she asks me, and I tell her I remember seeing the sky for the first time in 2 days, then everything going black._

_She tells me everything that happened in the past 3 weeks. I am amazed at how long I was out for. She also says that when I was first brought in, I had an 80% chance of making it. But after the second surgery, Miley tells me, I couldn't breathe on my own. That explains the tube down my throat._

_Jenn pokes her head into my room, saying, "Are you ready for your family?"_

_"Yeah, but can you give me something for the pain? I've never been in this much pain before."_

_"Sure. I was actually wondering if you were in pain and was going to ask you, but you got there before me." She hooks up something to my IV, and hands me a button attached to it._

_"When the pain gets too intense, just press the button, it'll release another dose of morphine into your IV." I press it once, and instantly feel the drug coursing through my veins._

_"Much better," I sigh, then say to Jenn, "They can come in now."_

_My mom and dad come in first. "Nicholas!" my mom shrieks, throwing her arms around me. I gasp in pain, since the morphine isn't at full strength yet, and she quickly lets go. "I'm so sorry. I can't believe you're awake, honey," she tells me, running a hand through my hair._

_My dad comes over to me as well, and places a hand on my shoulder. "Glad you're alright son," he says, and I smile._

_Joe, Kevin and Frankie come in next, closely followed by Lilly. Miley is still on my bed, but she is slightly back from me._

_"Fro bro, you're alright!" Joe exclaims, "air-hugging" me, but I pull him into a real hug.  
Kevin comes over to me next, giving me a tender hug._

_My mom is holding Frankie, and places him on the bed. He slowly crawls to me, hesitating just a little bit. "Frank the Tank," I say, "you're not going to hurt me. Come here." he cautiously wraps his arms around me, and I pull him in closer. He breaks free after a while, smiles, and goes to sit on Miley's lap._

_"You pick her over me?" I ask him, pretending to be offended._

_"Of course he does," Miley says, ruffling his hair, "You Grey boys always have good taste in women." Frankie smiles up at her as she plays with his hair._

_Lilly comes over to my bed, sitting on the edge. "I missed you, best friend," I say, only so she could hear, and her eyes light up as I hug her. "I missed you too."_

_We all stay like this for a while, just laughing and talking. I guess you never really know how much family means to you until you're away from them for a long period of time. I can't wait to get out of this hospital bed and go to my apartment._

_Jenn knocks on the door, and my mom lets her in. "Nick, we have to check your vitals now, your parents are welcome to stay."_

_Everyone else leaves, with Miley lingering a little bit, but I give her a kiss and tell her she'll be able to come back in soon._

_Jenn checks my vital signs, and says everything is alright. Another person comes in, and I assume he's my doctor._

_"Nick, what a pleasant surprise! I must say, I will remember you for a while now. You are a fighter." he says, smiling at me and my parents._

"Now Nick, this might be a bit of a shock, but as you know your legs were crushed underneath metal. We"ve done the best we can with surgery, but you are going to have to go through extensive Physical Therapy to regain the use of them." I try to register this. I might never walk again?! Are you serious?

_"Will I be able to walk again?" I ask nervously, fearing the worst._

_"With the best trainers, you will. I will give you the place where you'll get the best treatment. I have no doubt in my mind that you will walk again. You just proved that to me by beating the odds and waking up."_

_He asks me a couple more questions, like where I live and such. He establishes that I'll be out of the hospital in 3 days, and I'll live in my apartment, but on the main floor. He orders me to be bedridden for about 4 months, then I will come back for a check up. By that point, I should be able to start Physical Therapy. The doctor shakes my hand along with my parents hands, and they all leave._

_I slump back against the pillows. Bedridden for the next 4 months. Let the torture begin. Miley comes back into my room, a worried look on her face._

_"I take it that they told you?" she whispers, coming closer to my bed._

_"Yeah, I'm going to be bedridden for 4 months and then start PT." The words come out bitterly, but when I feel Miley's arms going around my shoulders I immediately relax._

_"Nick, please. At least they say you'll be able to walk again. Some people aren't as lucky as you are. And besides, once you can walk again, we're getting married. I'm walking down that aisle and becoming Mrs. Nick Grey. I'm going to be here with you every step of the way." I smile at this, knowing that I've got a long road to recovery ahead, but my fiancee will be with me every step of the way._

so nick is finally awake!! reviews are appreciated!

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	7. Chapter 6

_phew! i finally got this chapter done ! took me forever! so enjoy !_

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned something. but i don't.**

_1 month after Nick is out of the hospital._

_(Nick's POV) Wednesday October 28, 2001_

I'm surprised that Miley hasn't gotten sick of me yet. It sucks being confined to a bed 24 hours a day, but I'm coping. In order for me to be "bedridden," Joe and Kevin moved our recliner that we had to the office and pushed the couch all the way to the wall. Then they moved in a twin bed that rests against the other wall. Miley has been going to her classes two days a week and working 4 days a week; she enrolled in NYU and got a job waitressing to help pay my medical bills, so usually Kevin or my mom come over to keep me company. My parents told her that she doesn't have to pay for my bills; she said she felt bad and they settled for her paying half. Joe is here every other day; I guess he was really scared about losing me. I appreciate everything that everyone has been doing for me, and when I got out of the hospital, I blatantly told everyone not to pity me or baby me. I said that I would tell them if something wasn't right, or something hurt, stuff like that. I don't want them to feel sorry for me, they have no reason to. And I'm handling everything really well, much to everyone's surprise. I guess being in bed with nothing to do but read, watch t.v., or write does that to you. I've been doing a lot of thinking; thinking about the wedding, our future, just little things in life. Joe left about 10 minutes ago, Miley had called him and told him she got out of class early and was on her way home.

Speaking of Miley, I hear the lock click and the door of our apartment open. Miley's tinkling laugh can be heard from a distance; I assume she is on the phone. I hear her say, "I'll see you tomorrow Lils," and hang up her phone. She walks into the living room and sets her school bag down by the love seat before coming over to my bed and sitting on the edge of it.

"Hey, beautiful," I say, kissing her lightly.

She returns the kiss, bringing her hand up to stroke my face. She pulls away and smiles. "Hey," she says softly, "how was your day?"

"Nothing special," I shrug my shoulders. "Joe came over today." I pull her closer to me, slipping my arms around her waist. She leans into me, being mindful of the IV line and catheter running in between us.

"Oh?"

I smiled. "Yeah, and I beat him at Monopoly 9 times."

She laughed, and I joined her. Once we both recovered, I asked her, "How was class?"

Miley made a face and said, "Boring. The professor assigned us a paper to write due Monday on something utterly ridiculous."

She rested her head on my chest as I wrapped my arms tighter around her body. We stay like this for a few seconds before I offer, "I'll help you start writing it tonight, if you'd like."

She picks her head up and looks at me. "You'd really do that? For me?"

I kiss the tip of her nose and say, "Of course. It's not like I can get up and move around like the busy bee my fiancée has been."

That got a smile from her, a smile she only reserved for me.

"How's your sugar level?"

I lift up the sleeve of my t-shirt and check my Omnipod. It's a little lower than normal.

"It was fine earlier when I checked it, but now it's a little low."

She untangles my arms from her waist and gets up. I pout, sticking out my bottom lip. She kisses it quickly, and then says, "Hungry? I brought home Chinese."

"Starved."

Miley disappears into the kitchen while I turn on the news. Every now and then, they post a report on the plot to catch Osama Bin Laden. And every time one of those reports comes on, I change the channel. 9-11 is so raw and fresh in my mind, it hurts so much to even think about it. Miley knows not to bring it up unless I do first. But what she doesn't know is that I think about it constantly. Joe, Kevin, and I talk about it when they come over to keep me company. I don't know what it is, but I am able to talk freely about it with my brothers than anyone else in my family. Maybe it's because of the bond we have, or the fact that they worked in the towers. Whatever it is, I wish I could talk to Miley about it like the way I talk about it to Joe and Kevin. I think the main reason as to why I refrain from talking about it to Miley is because she was so terrified of losing me, and that took a toll on her. From what I was told, Miley refused to talk to anyone but my unconscious form in the hospital, so to speak, and put up a wall around herself. She wouldn't even talk to Lilly, her best friend; that says a lot.

Miley comes back into the living room carrying two plates laden with Chinese food. I accept the plates with a word of thanks and she goes to get drinks. She comes back in with a bottle of orange Gatorade for me and a bottle of water for herself. I hand her plate to her, and before I start to eat, I open the Gatorade and take a couple of sips, then reset my insulin level.

We both eat in silence for a while, the TV on in the background. Once I finished, she took my plate and hers and put them in the dishwasher. She comes back into the living room and grabs her school bag, opening it and pulling out her laptop.

She boots up her computer while I play with her hair. She swats me away playfully, only to capture my lips in a heated passionate kiss.

"What do you say we leave the paper till tomorrow and watch a movie tonight?" I murmured, as I broke away from the kiss.

Miley looked up from checking her email and smiled. "That sounds nice. Promise you'll help me tomorrow? I don't have class."

"Of course I'll help you."

She kisses me on the cheek and then looks at my IV.

"Do you want more morphine?"

I shake my head. "No, I should be good till tomorrow."

My doctor decided to keep me on morphine for a month after I got out of the hospital, but he's slowly weaning me away from it. After being on such high doses of it at the hospital, he told me he didn't want me to become morphine dependent. He only gave a certain amount of the drug to last me the entire month, so if I use it all before I go back to the hospital, I'll have to deal with the pain. I only try to use the morphine when the pain gets unbearable.

Miley goes to change, reappearing a minute later in a pair of sweatpants and one of my v-neck t-shirts.

"Nice shirt," I comment her as she puts National Treasure in the DVD player. She pulls a face at me before saying; "it helps me sleep at night, since you can't be in the same bed as me."

I smile at that, because Miley is about to get some good news.

"Why are you smiling at me?" Damn, she caught me looking.

"Oh, nothing, it's just that I got some good news concerning your sleeping habits."

She looks puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

"My doctor called me today and told me that it was alright for you to sleep with me from now on. He didn't want you to sleep with me right after I got out of the hospital because he didn't want anything to go wrong."

Miley's eyes lit up as soon as I finished speaking. "Really? I can sleep next to you now?"

I nodded. "So what are you waiting for? Get over here."

She immediately came over to me and lay down next to me, being as careful as she can to not touch my legs. "Miley, you're not going to hurt me. Trust me baby, I'll tell you if you're hurting me."

She relaxes against me, her head on my chest, my arms around her waist. We watch the movie in a comfortable silence.

When the movie is over and the credits are rolling on the screen, I look over to Miley and notice that she is sound asleep. I smile to myself, kiss her forehead, and move her head to the pillow next to me. Turning the TV off, I lie back on my pillow and close my eyes, awaiting sleep to overcome me. My dreams take me to places unimaginable, free of any pain. They take me to wherever Miley is, because with her, I am happy.

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	8. Chapter 7

WOW. I just realized how long it's been since i've updated this story...I'm sorry!! i know theres alot of people who like this story....so heres an update!!!

if i get enough reviews, i'll post the next chapter by the end of the week.

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. except the plot :) **

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_10 a.m._

I wake up the next morning with Miley snuggled against my good side. I shift up a little bit, making sure that I don't bump the IV in my arm. My legs don't hurt as much as they did before; I pray that they are healing fast.

Miley stirs next to me, yawning and stretching slightly. She opens her eyes and smiles at me.

"Good morning," she yawns, kissing me lightly.

"Sleep good last night?" I ask her, snaking an arm around her waist.

"Amazing. It felt nice to finally sleep next to you after a month and a half of not being able to," she replied.

"I could do without the IV line, but I'll deal," she adds on.

I smile halfheartedly, remembering that I have a doctor's appointment at 11.

"What's wrong? Is it your blood sugar?" Miley looks at me, her eyes filled with concern.

"Nothing, I just don't want to go to the doctor's today. I'd rather stay in bed with my fiancee."

She laughed. "Well, the sooner we go to the doctor's, the sooner we can come home."

I reluctantly let my fiancee out of my arms so she could get ready for the day. She goes into the kitchen and comes out a second later, handing me a glass of apple juice. She kisses me briefly before disappearing into our bedroom.

Miley comes out a few minutes later, dressed in dark skinny jeans, a blue hoodie, and brown uggs. Her hair is down and curly, and a hint of eyeliner graces her ocean-colored eyes.

She hands me a clean t-shirt and a pair of black sweatpants to change into. I pull the sweatpants on over my mesh shorts, knowing it will be easier for my doctor to look at my legs. I still can't put any weight on my right leg; that one took the brunt of the blow. Miley comes in with a wheelchair for me, and crutches. She helps me swing my legs over the side of the bed and I slowly stand up, placing my weight on Miley and my left leg.

I wince slightly as I shift my weight and settle in the wheelchair. Miley hands me my cell phone and her school bag.

"What is this for?" I ask her.

She smiles. "Since you ll take forever at the doctors, I decided to get a head start on my paper. And since I m pushing you in this wheelchair, you get to hold my bag." She bends down until her face is level with mine, and kisses me slowly, the most passionate kiss we've shared in a long time.

"Wow," I said, as I pulled away, "What did I do to deserve that?"

Miley stood up and started pushing me to the elevator, not answering my question.

"Come on, Miley! You can't just kiss me like that and then proceed to ignore me!"

She whispers in my ear, "If you be quiet, you'll find out later." That instantly shut me up.

We get to the ground of the apartment complex and Miley wheels me out to her car. She helps me stand up and eases me into the front seat of the car. She folds up the wheelchair and places it in the back seat. She gets into the driver s seat and starts the car.

The ride to the hospital takes about 15 minutes, that is, with no traffic. Today, it takes us about a half hour, thanks to an accident 2 blocks from the hospital. The building is on 48th and Madison.

Miley pulls into the parking garage and is able to find a parking spot on the first floor.

She helps me out of the car and back into the wheelchair. Wheeling me into the lobby of the hospital, Miley goes up the front desk and checks in. I watch as she hands over my insurance and the co-pay. I can't help but feel bad as I watch her do almost everything for me. I hate not being able to do everything I used to be able to do.

Miley comes back over to me and sits in the seat adjacent to my chair.

"The nurse said about 5 minutes."

I nod my head and take Miley s hand in mine. I notice that she is extremely tense, and I rub circles in her hand with my thumb.

"What's wrong, Miles? You seem nervous."

"Nothing, it's just- I'm scared."

"Scared of what?"

She looks away from me, almost in shame.

"I feel like I haven't been taking good enough care of you. I mean, I'm at class 2 days a week and 5 days a week I'm waitressing to pay for my half of your medical bill. I don't get to see you very often, and I feel like the worst fiancee ever."

I force her to look me in the eyes. I kiss her softly before replying, taking her left hand in mine, playing with the engagement ring I gave her.

"Miley, baby, I couldn't ask for anyone better than you to be taking care of me. Maybe my mom, but she isn't going to be around forever. You have sacrificed so much already for me, and I know you'll sacrifice more if you have to. I didn't ask for any of this from you. Or my family, for that matter. I will be forever grateful for everything that you've done for me."

She smiles, and gives my hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I love you, you know that right?" I ask.

She kisses me on the cheek before wrinkling her nose at me. "I know you love me, and I love you too, but you really need to shave."

I let out a laugh before giving her an Eskimo kiss, making sure to rub my face against hers.

"Nick?"

I look up at the sound of my name.

"We're ready for you."

Miley stands up and pushes me to the door.

"1st door on the left."

We get to said door and Miley wheels me in. She helps me out of my wheel chair and I hoist myself up onto the bench. I realized that I will be using my arms a lot more since I have to regain the use of my legs, so I've been working on my upper body strength. The nurse takes my temperature, blood pressure, and blood sugar level.

"Everything looks great, Nick. You've been doing well, I assume?"

I nod my head. Miley gives me a small smile, and I return it.

"Alright, Nick, Dr. Turner will be here in a few minutes. I just need you to lie down with your feet at the end." She points to the opposite end of the bench. I slip my sweatpants off, and hand them to Miley, who places them on the seat of my wheelchair.

I do what the nurse says, wincing a little bit as I shift my legs. Miley comes to stand by my side when there is a soft knock at the door.

Dr. Turner comes into the room with a smile on his face. He shakes Miley's hand. "Ms. Stewart," he says. Miley blushes slightly, but returns the handshake.

Dr. Turner claps a hand on my shoulder. "Nick, he says, How are you feeling? And be honest..."

I take a deep breath. "Well, they don t hurt as much as they did before. I still can't put any weight on my right leg, but my left is better. I haven't been using the morphine as much because I haven't felt the need for it. The pain I feel is a good kind of pain. It reminds me why I'm alive. But other than being bedridden, I'm fine."

The doctor looks up at me after I'm finished speaking. He looks back down at my file before looking at me again.

"Emotionally, how are you feeling? Now, I m no psychiatrist, but I would like to know."

I ponder this for a moment. "Truthfully? I m not angry, or sad, or anything like that. I know why 9/11 happened, and I don't blame just 1 person. I blame everyone. All I'm concentrating on right now is healing my body so I can stand at the altar and watch my beautiful fiancee walk down the aisle and make her my wife."

I hear a sniffle and look over to see Miley wiping her eyes. She takes my hand and presses a soft kiss to it.

Dr. Turner smiles at us before speaking.

"Alright, Nick, let's have a look at your legs. I want you to let me know if I m hurting you, got it?"

I nod my head and brace myself. Miley tightens her grip on my hand, silently telling me it was okay to squeeze her hand when it hurts.

Dr. Turner slowly undoes the dressings on my left leg, the leg closest to him. He smiles approvingly.

"Whoever has been taking care of you, Nick, they are doing an excellent job. Your leg is healing quite nicely; almost all of the swelling has gone down. Can you put any weight on it?"

I glance at Miley and shoot her a 'what did I tell you?' look. She just smiles.

"Every now and then I am. I just started trying to put weight on it. I haven t walked on it yet."

"Dr. Turner nods in approval. A wise decision. I would wait a couple weeks to walk on it."

"Alright, well, let's see your other leg."

As the doctor begins to undo the bandages on my right leg, Miley notices me tense up and runs her free hand through my curls, instantly relaxing me.

My right leg looks significantly different than my left. My knee is very swollen and still bruised. The bleeding has stopped, but there are deep gouges in my leg from the surgery. Scars litter the lower portion of my leg.

Dr. Turner frowns slightly and begins to examine my leg more closely.

"Well, there aren't any signs of infection, so that's good. But the swelling and bruising should have gone down by now. I'm going to exert some pressure on various points. I want you to tell me what hurts and what doesn't, okay?"

I nod my head yes, keeping a tight grip on Miley's hand.

Dr, Turner begins to push slightly on different points of my leg. When he gets to the area around my knee, I inhale sharply. Miley runs her hand through my curls again, attempting to calm me down.

Dr. Turner presses down again, harder this time, and I bite my bottom lip to keep myself from crying out.

"Okay, that hurts, a lot," I manage to say, as I feel tears come to my eyes.

Miley presses a kiss to my forehead. "Shh, it s okay," she soothes.

Dr. Turner finishes his evaluation and writes some things down in my file.

"Alright, Nick, let s see if you can bend your left leg."

He places one hand on my knee and the other on my ankle. He slowly starts to bend my leg, exerting some pressure on it. It hurts a little bit, but I can deal. I am able to bend my leg to the point where it is almost perpendicular before the pain is unbearable.

Dr. Turner re-extends my leg and places it back down on the table. He writes down a few more things before turning to Miley and I.

"Well, Nick, I am very impressed with how well you've been recuperating. You've been handling everything emotionally and mentally well too. I m going to put a straight brace on your right leg to keep it stabilized and to help the swelling go down. You'll be able to walk on it, but I'd rather you use crutches. As for your left leg, I'll put on a brace that allows you to move your leg freely. It seems stable enough for you to put weight on it. I'll also write out a prescription for 800mg ibuprofen for the pain."

"Thank you." He shakes my hand, as well as Miley's, leaving the prescription slip for to drop off at the pharmacy.

"Do you want me to bring the wheelchair home?" Miley asks me.

"Yeah, just in case I get tired or something."

She helps me settle in the wheelchair, and we make our way to the lobby and to outside. As we walk out the doors of the hospital, a lingering thought makes its way to the front of my mind.

I know I still have a long road of recovery, but every time I pass through those doors, I think to myself, One of these days, I m gonna be able to walk out on my own, with no help.

And until then, I just have to keep pushing on. A little bit longer, and I ll be fine.

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so....what did you think???

i realized how much i missed writing this story...hope you all enjoyed this.

sorry if i disappointed anyone.... :/

let me know !!

xotayxo


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